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Scolopdendromorphs (Giant Centipedes)
Scolopendramorphs are active predators taking prey as large as rodents and even bats. Their bites are very painful, but are rarely fatal in humans. The venom is delivered through the animal's forcipules, which lie just behind the mandibles. The venoms of Scolopendra species contain compounds such as serotonin, haemolytic phospholipase A, a cardiotoxic protein and a cytolysin. In temperate climates, only relatively small species occur, but species from the tropics such as S. gigantea may exceed 30 centimetres (12 in). Care Sheets * S. gigantea (Amazonian Giant Centipede) * S. heros (Giant Desert Centipede) * S. polymorpha (Tiger Centipede) Behavior & Diet This centipede is nervous and jumpy and may move rapidly if disturbed. It is carnivorous and aggressive, feeding on almost everything it encounters that it can kill. It is capable of overpowering not only other invertebrates such as insects and even tarantulas, but also vertebrates which include small lizards, frogs (up to 95 mm long), snakes (up to 25 cm long), sparrow-sized birds, mice, and bats. They are known to employ unique strategies to catch bats in which they can climb cave ceilings and hold or manipulate their heavier prey with only a few legs attached to the ceiling. During a fight, the centipede will use its entire body to coil its enemies or prey with all its legs firmly attached to the body of the opponents. Centipedes will cut away at their prey when eating. Husbandry Scolopendra are burrowing animal, preferring dark, damp environments such as beneath logs and in leaf litter. Centipedes are solitary and will cannibalize smaller specimens. Mating & Reproduction The male spins a web and deposit his spermatophore in this web, and waits for a female to come along. A spermatophore is a a capsule or sac that contains spermatozoa for fertilising an egg. The female takes the spermatophore and goes off with it, and uses it herself to fertilise her own eggs, without further input from the male. This process can take up to 1 hour. One month later she produces 20 to 30 eggs, which she incubates for a further 1 to 2 months, during which time she wraps herself around them to protect them predators. If the female is disturbed at this time, it is not unknown for her to eat her own eggs or young. If they survive to adulthood, they start reproducing when they are a year old. Genera The genus Scolopendra contains the following species: * Scolopendra abnormis Lewis & Daszak, 1996 * Scolopendra afer (Meinert, 1886) * Scolopendra algerina Newport, 1845 * Scolopendra alternans Leach, 1813 * Scolopendra andhrensis Jangi & Dass, 1984 * Scolopendra angulata Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra angusticollis Murray, 1887 * Scolopendra anomia Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra appendiculata Daday, 1891 * Scolopendra arborea Lewis, 1982 * Scolopendra arenicola (Lawrence, 1975) * Scolopendra arthrorhabdoides Ribaut, 1912 * Scolopendra attemsi Lewis, Minelli & Shelley, 2006 * Scolopendra aztecorum Verhoeff, 1934 * Scolopendra calcarata Porat, 1876 * Scolopendra canidens Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra childreni Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra chlora Chamberlin, 1942 * Scolopendra chlorotes C. L. Koch, 1856 * Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 * Scolopendra clavipes C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra concolor Newport, 1845 * Scolopendra crassa Templeton, 1846 * Scolopendra cretica Attems, 1902 * Scolopendra cribrifera Gervais, 1847 * Scolopendra crudelis C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra dalmatica C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra ellorensis Jangi & Dass, 1984 * Scolopendra fissispina L. Koch, 1865 * Scolopendra foveolata Verhoeff, 1937 * Scolopendra galapagoensis Bollman, 1889 * Scolopendra gigantea Linnaeus, 1758 * Scolopendra gracillima Attems, 1898 * Scolopendra hardwickei Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra hermosa Chamberlin, 1941 * Scolopendra heros Girard, 1853 * Scolopendra horrida C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra inaequidens Gervais, 1847 * Scolopendra indiae (Chamberlin, 1914) * Scolopendra indica Meinert, 1886 * Scolopendra inermipes C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra inermis Newport, 1845 * Scolopendra jangii Khanna & Yadav, 1997 * Scolopendra koreana (Verhoeff, 1934) * Scolopendra labiata C. L. Koch, 1863 * Scolopendra laeta Haase, 1887 * Scolopendra langi (Chamberlin, 1927) * Scolopendra latro Meinert, 1886 * Scolopendra limicolor Wood, 1861 * Scolopendra lucasii Gervais, 1847 * Scolopendra lutea (Attems, 1928) * Scolopendra madagascariensis Attems, 1910 * Scolopendra malkini Chamberlin, 1955 * Scolopendra mazbii Gravely, 1912 * Scolopendra media (Muralewicz, 1926) * Scolopendra melionii Lucas, 1853 * Scolopendra metuenda Pocock, 1895 * Scolopendra michoacana Chamberlin, 1941 * Scolopendra mima Chamberlin, 1942 * Scolopendra mirabilis (Porat, 1876) * Scolopendra monticola (Lawrence, 1975) * Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus, 1758 * Scolopendra multidens Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra negrocapitis Zhang & Wang, 1999 * Scolopendra nuda (Jangi & Dass, 1980) * Scolopendra occidentalis F. Meinert, 1886 * Scolopendra octodentata Verhoeff, 1934 * Scolopendra oraniensis Lucas, 1846 * Scolopendra pachygnatha Pocock, 1895 * Scolopendra paranuda (Khanna & Tripathi, 1987) * Scolopendra pentagramma Motschoulsky, 1886 * Scolopendra pinguis Pocock, 1891 * Scolopendra polymorpha Wood, 1861 * Scolopendra pomacea C. L. Koch, 1847 * Scolopendra puncticeps Wood, 1861 * Scolopendra punensis Jangi & Dass, 1984 * Scolopendra robusta Kraepelin, 1903 * Scolopendra sanatillae Bollman, 1893 * Scolopendra silhetensis Newport, 1845 * Scolopendra spinipriva Bücherl, 1946 * Scolopendra spinosissima Kraepelin, 1903 * Scolopendra subspinipes Leach, 1815 * Scolopendra sumichrasti Saussure, 1860 * Scolopendra tenuitarsis Pocock, 1895 * Scolopendra valida Lucas, 1840 * Scolopendra violacea Fabricius, 1798 * Scolopendra viridicornis Newport, 1844 * Scolopendra viridipes Dufour, 1820 * Scolopendra viridis Say, 1821 * Scolopendra zuluana (Lawrence, 1958)